Archive for October, 2006
More Media Coverage
There’s a little more media coverage about Network2 over here at Communications Technology magazine. It turns out he used a LOT of what I said. Cool. : )
http://www.cable360.net/ct/news/ctreports/20447.html
Interview at Blogging for Business
Ted Demopoulos, blogger, podcaster, and author of two books on both, recently interviewed me for his site. It’s a conversation about Grasshopper New Media, podcasting, and more.
Proving He Loves Me
Jim Kirks of The Clip Show took 21 photos from the recent Halloween Vlogfest.
I’m in 10.
Click the photo to see all 21, including a special sneaky photo of me hopping a fence in a clown nose to get into an off-limits pool. (The guy at the desk was calling the cops, but didn’t speak english. How hard would it be to translate: “fat man in clown nose jumping my fence to swim in my pool?”)
Ninja Fight
This morning, in a loft in northern Massachusetts, an epic battle took place. It was between a Ninja and a little girl. Come see the results.
Getting the Word Out
Neato! We’re being quoted in Media Week about the shift in online video content. I write about it over at the Network2 blog
Vote for Videobloggers on the Vloggies
The First Vloggies awards is this coming weekend, and so it’s time to vote. Do this today. It’ll take about 3 minutes, unless you know nearly everyone on the list, and then it’s FRICKIN’ HARD!
I’m even nominated, and so is Network2. Yippee!
Meet the L.A. Videobloggers
Thanks to Steve Garfield for setting up “Steve Across America.” We went out to Canter’s Deli in Los Angeles and met up with all kinds of swell folks. Steve and Zadi from Jet Set Show and RSS News, Hayden Black from Goodnight Burbank, Daniel McVicar from Late Nite Mash, and Noodlescar, and Viviendo con Fallas, and lots and lots and lots more wonderful folks. (Okay, I got lazy. Sorry.)
Here’s a little video bit.
Check out my Flickr photostream for some more snaps, too.
Jet Set Show
Yesterday morning started too early, with a flight to New York City. I was in town for a meeting, that included the most incredible and fascinating Jeff Jarvis, who took us on a delightful tour of CUNY’s newly remodeled school of Journalism. 
We grabbed lunch at a random sushi bar in town, because Andrew’s place had closed down. That’s okay. This one worked out okay.
After a brief diversion to buy three ninja costumes at Honda Martial Arts Supply (whom I recommend highly, if you have martial arts supply needs), David and I took a cab ride to JFK to meet up with Justin Kownacki.
We flew a very long flight with a farting dog in front of Justin, and this mwowring cat bleating the WHOLE FLIGHT FROM NY TO LA. No shit. But whatever. It was kind of funny. My infliht adventure this time? MTV’s Yo Mamma!: a show where people tell Yo Mamma jokes at each other to see who wins. I love the host, Wilmer Valderrama.
We arrived at night, so the following pictures are “dramatizations.”
We’re staying at the Crescent in Beverly Hills (because this was recommended by our friends for tonight’s big party). It’s a little more swank than I need, but it’s very nice, and it keeps the “Entourage lifestyle” feeling going that Jeff likes to talk about.
I’m blogging on this patio. The next shot is the bathroom.
Pretty wild, eh?
I should mention that we also had drinks and dinner last night with Jim Kirks from The Clip Show, and his lovely, globe-trotting friend, Debbie, who spent a lot of the last several years in foreign places, avoiding bombs, and helping the world. ( Brian, get in touch with me about her.)
Jim’s a great guy and I love hanging out.
We’re having lunch today at Canter’s deli in LA, with Steve Garfield, Steve Woolf, and Zadi Diaz, as well as some others, I’m sure. That ought to be fun! I have to dial up Hayden Black and maybe also Colleen Wainwright while we’re out here.
Anyhow, it’s been an adventure. More later. Thanks, Jeff, as always. It’s you helping spread this community spirit about videoblogging that’s making this all true.
Best Job Ever
Katrina told me, “People won’t understand that now that you’re working your dream job, you’ll be even busier than before. They’ll think your dream job is somehow easier.”
I married this woman because she’s brilliant.
I am passionate and in love with my job. My job is so difficult to explain to people who aren’t in the new media space. I’ve had several dozen conversations with coworkers from my old job, all of which go something like this:
Coworker: So what’s the new job like?
Me: It’s crazy. I am developing parts of this conference, while growing a network, and reaching out to the community.
Coworker: What time do you have to be at work?
Me: >blink blink< Uh, well, I show up between 8:30 and 9 when I'm in the office. I travel a lot, too.
Coworker: Cool! How much vacation do you get?
Me: I have no idea. I didn't ask.
Coworker: >blink blink<
Me: But it's cool. I'm building a small movie studio. I've got these plans for a show in March. I get to do PodCamp as part of my day job!
Coworker: Wow, are they hiring?
Me: Not really. Sales, maybe.
Coworker: No, doing what you do.
Me: Hey look! Sasquatch!
My job isn’t exactly spelled out for me. For the most part, I run with things. Today, I talked on a conference call with people responsible for developing the speakers at the big conference. My role is kind of to massage the sessions, to mention some pertinent people from my community, to give some spin from the grassroots side to counter all the business/industry side heavy stuff. When I got off that call, I did an interview with a legend/blogger talking about Network2. There was no shift. I hung up from one call, dialed the second.
I’ve got a duty to build a small pre-conference before the big show in March, and I’ve turned to Christopher S. Penn to help with that, as we’ve been good partners since the summer on such experiences. But Chris is doing it for love of new media, and because it’s cool to do. I’m doing it because it’s another facet of my job. So’s PodCamp, for that matter.
Tomorrow, I get on a plane at 7:15AM and fly to New York City to meet with the legendary Jeff Jarvis, along with the boys from Network2. From there, in the afternoon, David Kowarsky and I will head back to JFK, meet up with Justin, and we’ll fly out to Los Angeles to attend the Halloween Vlogfest. In the morning, business (kinda sorta). In the evening, the night before a big party.
It’s all this incredible experience, seeding an ecosystem, or as David said, populating a new planet. I love it.
During my job interview, which was with the founder of the company and also the incredibly talented CEO, I asked the question: “So, what will I be measured upon.” They looked at each other, shared a chuckle, and I moved on to my next silly question.
(The answer, for the record, is that my role is to keep every ball juggling, and to occasionally make an amazing trick.)
It’s nothing like the last job. I love the people at the last company, and I appreciate with all my soul the complete and utter lack of politics and bullshit at my old company, but boy, this is really home. I am working my damned head off. I’m going crazy with the possibilities, and I’m threading together all kinds of aspects of my personality, my creativity, and my talents, into a wonderful experience that I hope to make into revenue and other value for my new boss.
And that’s another thing: it’s really damned cool to really enjoy hanging out with your boss. I’ve never sang impromptu karaoke at the old gig, but I think I’ve belted out tunes three or four times now with Jeff. It’s been really rockstar, this experience, and I can’t wait for everything that comes next.
Okay, I’ve gotta pack for New York and then L.A. Talk about opposites. : )
The Conversation Around the Story
Dave Slusher, someone I met all too briefly at the Podcast and Portable Media Expo, has an interesting comment on the whole Ze Frank / Rocketboom story, which has evolved into some kind of broader discussion on the state of videoblogging / internet TV.
He says that the reason he’s all done with Ze Frank (and by the way, I still love The Show and the overall flow of the commentary) is that the show isn’t useful. By useful, Dave comments about the RSS feed not being formatted in a useful way, the fact that the show lacks adequate show notes, and that the name itself isn’t all that distinctive. There’s lots more to read about in that regard, and I recommend you read it on Dave’s site.
So, Dave covers usefulness and Robert mentions engagement. My contribution was just that now’s not the time to tear it up and that we should be working together. Jeneane Sessum says I’m wrong, and she might be right.
But boy, isn’t the conversation great? Does this happen in mainstream TV right now? I’m not sure. I love that we’re in a position within the internet TV videoblogging world to have thoughtful conversations about the medium, the stars, and the usefulness of their products.
